Origin Secures $20M to Automate Interior Construction with Physical AI Robots

While the robotics industry has largely focused on factory floors and warehouse logistics, the construction sector has remained notoriously difficult to automate due to constantly changing job site conditions. Now, San Francisco-based Origin has raised $20 million in a round co-led by Accel and Zacua Ventures to bring physical AI directly to interior trades. The startup's flagship robot, OG-1, navigates live construction sites to autonomously apply compound, sand, and prime walls without requiring cordoned-off work zones.

Unlike single-purpose construction machines, Origin is building a modular platform powered by its proprietary Construction Action Model, which is trained on high-fidelity simulations and real-world deployment data. The OG-1 unit operates on a three-wheeled base, using real-time force control to handle contact-intensive tasks like sanding at heights up to 14 feet. Delivered via a Robot-as-a-Service (RaaS) model, the system aims to replace the manual labor that typically accounts for over 65% of a building's construction timeline.

The company, founded in 2025 by former Amazon executive Yogesh Ghaturle alongside Ashish Daga and Tushar Makkar, has already deployed units in New York and plans to have 150 robots active by the end of 2027. By expanding the platform's capabilities to include drywall installation and drilling, Origin is positioning itself to capture a significant share of the $1.3 billion flowing into construction robotics as contractors seek technological solutions to an aging workforce.